Flip van der Merwe has served out his suspension and will return to the Vodacom Bulls side – as captain – for this weekend’s Loftus clash with the Brumbies.

Coach Frans Ludeke has made a few controversial selections for this match, with Werner Kruger replacing new Bok squad member Marcel van der Merwe as starting tighthead and veteran Jacques-Louis Potgieter inked in to start at flyhalf ahead of the impressive Handre Polalrd.

Changes on the bench see Paul Willemse – who loses his number 4 jersey to the skipper – picked in number 19 ahead of Wimpie van der Walt, while Ulrich Beyers replaces William Small-Smith in number 23.

12 Comments

Piet van Zyl should be going mad sitting on the bench. He should have never left the Cheetahs.

Comment 1, posted at 21.05.14 10:48:21 by JD

@JD (Comment 1) : when you move to a province that has a contracted Bok on their books, in your position, you need to accept that the bench is where you will live.

Same logic applies to Adriaanse.

I guess money was more important than game time for both of them.

Comment 2, posted at 21.05.14 10:49:58 by robdylan

@robdylan (Comment 2) : ja and it cost them both a place in the Bok training group. Penny wise and pound foolish!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment 3, posted at 21.05.14 12:09:07 by JD

@JD (Comment 3) : Adriaanse has proved this year that he is not test standard……the guy lacks skill and at best solid in the scrums.

There are many tightheads who are better……Jannie, Coenie, Malherbe, Marcel v/d Merwe, Frik Kirsten and Maks v/Dyk are all better. Add Nkanyane playing out of position at tighthead as well

Comment 4, posted at 21.05.14 13:41:40 by Saffex

@Saffex (Comment 4) : don’t think Adiaanse is as bad as you think. He’s solid in the scrum and not to bad around the park. He is not getting enough game time to be as sharp as he was last year. How many games did he start this year or even played more than 30min?!?!?!

@Big Fish (Comment 6) : Come now Fish, I thought we’d moved past the point of looking for external factors that could explain Saffex’s extraordinarily entertaining reasoning. The guy is delusional, plain and simple. Or mad, as they called it back in the day.

Comment 7, posted at 21.05.14 15:42:49 by Culling Song

@Big Fish (Comment 6) : Coenie is a decent tighthead… for the two seconds he lasts before doing his neck in each time he shifts to that side of the scrum

Comment 8, posted at 21.05.14 16:09:12 by vanmartin

@vanmartin (Comment 8) : don’t know why they’re so hell bent on turning Coenie into a tighthead, there’s some good young tighheads. Let him play loosehead as cover for Beast.

Comment 9, posted at 21.05.14 16:39:22 by JD

Comment 10, posted at 21.05.14 17:10:29 by Big Fish

@Saffex (Comment 4) : Coenie is looshead – finish and klaar. They messing him up at tighthead where he ain’t as wonderful as you think..

Comment 11, posted at 22.05.14 09:20:42 by RedSharkUtd82

@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 11) : ja don’t know who’s bright idea it was to move him to tighthead, but I hope they change their mind sooner rather than later!!!!!